CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri (10-9) fell to #22 Southern Illinois (18-1), 21-4, Wednesday night at Capaha Field.
 
SEMO and SIU played a game that lasted over four hours and included 25 runs, 25 hits, 19 pitchers and 23 walks.
 
SIU scored in six innings with six runs in the second, four in the fourth and seventh in the ninth to key its season-high score.
 
Ahead, 2-0, SIU hit a pair of home runs as part of its six-run second inning to take a seven-run advantage.
 
The Salukis carried a 14-3 lead into the ninth inning where they loaded the bases and plated seven more runs, including four on a grand slam by Philip Archer.
 
SEMO loaded the bases three times and had its share of scoring opportunities, but stranded 15 baserunners. The Redhawks scored once in the first, twice in the third and once more in the ninth.
 
Jevon Mason touched home on an error for the Redhawks first run of the game. Connor Basler scored Austin Blazevic on an infield single and Peyton Leeper walked with the bases loaded to score Danny Wright in the third. Then, in the ninth, Danny Sperling singled to right and Brett Graber scored.
 
Hunter Ralls (1-1) took the loss. Ralls walked two, allowed a hit and gave up two runs on 16 pitches. Of the nine relievers that pitched after Ralls exited the game with no outs in the first inning, Bryce Grossius was in the longest. Grossius worked 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
 
SEMO pitchers issued a season-high 13 walks in the game.
 
Gage O'Brien (1-0) was credited with his first win of the season. 
 
SIU outhit SEMO, 17-8. 
 
Nick Neville fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and reached base six times. He went 4-for-5 with three runs, a walk and four RBI. Archer also went 4-for-6 with three runs and four RBI for the Salukis.
 
SEMO returns to Ohio Valley Conference action with a three-game series at Eastern Illinois on Mar. 26-27.